School Uses Shock Therapy on Autistic Students: Constructive or Cruel?

by SodaHead News Posted 2012/05/23 13:00:00

Related Topics: judge rotenberg center, shock therapy, Autism, Video, School, Treatment, parents, Student, CNN, soda, Stress, Torture, Disability, Protest, Autistic

Read More

546 votes
Read all 507 opinions
Lightning Report View Results and Demographics + View Demographics

Loading Demographics... Click an icon to see demographic results Display unknown and private
	Constructive	60 votes	11%
	Cruel	486 votes	89%

The Judge Rotenberg Center, a special needs school in Massachusetts, is facing major controversy this week as information about the school's shock therapy program come to light. According to CNN, a student was treated for post traumatic stress disorder after receiving 31 electric shocks in a seven hour period. Officials were apparently trying to hide video footage of the shocking treatment, but was recently required to reveal it.

Other parents say the school is saving lives. One mother claims the shock treatment helped her son immensely, and calls the school a "godsend." Critics aren't so sure. Some call it torture. A group of opponents are even organizing a protest called Occupy JRC, to be held on June 2. It will include a wide range of speakers, from parents to disability advocates. But do you think shock therapy could be constructive?

+25

Add a comment above

Rave 2012/05/23 14:05:40

Cruel

+11
Shock therapy has been known to CAUSE post-traumatic stress disorder in some patients. I feel it is outdated and we have better treatments available these days.
>> See Replies

More polls by SodaHead News

Lydecho Rain (Лидия) 2012/05/24 03:33:29

Cruel

+2
Jeez... I'm not really autistic, but I have Asperger's, something similar to autism/ a type of it. I don't want to be shocked... But then again I'm much more mild than those kids. Still, it's a cruel way to treat them.

reply
Paul to Lydecho... 2012/05/24 16:18:11

+2
Are you taking probiotics and avoiding sugar and grains etc.?

reply
Lydecho... to Paul 2012/05/24 23:24:46

+1
I'm supposed to do that?... Sometimes.

reply
Paul to Lydecho... 2012/05/25 00:10:21

+2
Yes, you are supposed to do that. And avoid dairy products as well.

reply
Lydecho... to Paul 2012/05/25 00:31:20

+2
I'm a vegan anyways.

reply
Paul to Lydecho... 2012/05/25 00:34:43

+2
That's ok, as long as you avoid sugar and grain products as well.

reply
Lydecho... to Paul 2012/05/25 00:44:45

+2
Wait.. What does this have to do with autism or Asperger's syndrome...? I don't like bread or sugar much but still

reply
Lydecho... to Paul 2012/05/25 00:47:19

+2
Oh I get it, because people with autism or aspergers have an imbalance of good and bad bacteria. I've never had much trouble with that, though. Still I guess it's best to be careful

reply
Paul to Lydecho... 2012/05/25 00:51:01 (edited)

+2
Here, see if this link works for you.

http://tinyurl.com/c8qv4pc

How do you know that you don't have trouble bad bacteria and yeast?

reply
Lydecho... to Paul 2012/05/25 01:08:49

Ok, thanks! :)

reply
Paul to Lydecho... 2012/05/25 01:04:02

+2
You know, actually everyone would be better off doing the GAPs diet and taking probiotics. Americans eat too much sugar, grain products and other starches. It's part of why so many people are sick, overweight and act hot-headed, violent or like fools.

reply
Lydecho... to Paul 2012/05/25 01:08:18

+2
I'm not violent or overweight... I try to be nice most of the time, but I sometimes say the first thing that comes to mind.

reply
Paul to Lydecho... 2012/05/25 01:53:37

+2
Oh, I wasn't implying that you were violent or overweight. I was talking about people in general. I think we all say the first thing that comes to mind sometimes. Nothing abnormal there. ;-)

reply
ThinkAboutIt! 2012/05/24 03:30:13

Constructive

Where is the 'humorous' selection?

reply
Sayer S... to ThinkAb... 2012/05/24 03:48:51

+2
How is this humorous?

reply
ThinkAb... to Sayer S... 2012/05/24 04:09:44

Get your hand out of your pants.

reply
Sayer S... to ThinkAb... 2012/05/24 04:17:40

+1
You obviously are a troll.

reply
GEORGE CAMPOS 2012/05/24 03:17:04

Constructive

I am in favor if this will provide a cure without

reply
just me 2012/05/24 03:12:34

Cruel

+5
It is torturing a disabled child for his disability.

reply
Flamingolady 2012/05/24 03:05:13

Cruel

+2
Are you kidding? Surely this is illegal.

reply
2468 2012/05/24 03:01:00

Constructive

+1
If it is proven to be therapeutic then I will let those that are working on these issues determine if the liabilities out weigh the benefits.

Would I want one? No.
But if it was needed I would do it too.

I don't like shots...but I get them when needed.
I don't like giving blood but will to help someone else out.

reply
James Hogue 2012/05/24 02:41:23

Cruel

+2
WHAT KIND OF SCHOOLS ARE THESE, SCHOOLS OF SATAN?!!!!!!!!!

reply
bob h. to James H... 2012/05/25 03:18:45

They just call them schools. Actually, they are like minimum security jails for juveniles.

reply
Royo 2012/05/24 02:23:34

Cruel

+3
Ugh. It makes my state look bad.. and way more importantly, it's terrible! Massachusetts is not a very accepting state of people with disabilities, in my opinion. My own school is terrible in that way.

reply
wtw 2012/05/24 01:38:30

Constructive

+1
The new eletric shock has beneficial effects just look at me!

reply
Nam Era Vet #1 DNA TLC 2012/05/24 01:36:08

Cruel

+3
That stuff was outlawed in certain areas because of certain not so nice side effects.

reply
SA to Nam Era... 2012/05/24 16:29:00

+1
Exactly.

reply
The Elitist Libtard SodaJerk 2012/05/24 01:34:53

Cruel

+5
Plus it won't work,

reply
Savior 2012/05/24 01:30:02

Cruel

+3
hasn't shock therapy already been proven to be inefficient, never mind the moral dilemmas

reply
The Libertarian 2012/05/24 01:15:59

Constructive

+1
I am not ready to call it cruel, the treatment today is not the same as the 1940's or 50's in sanatoriums, there are reports that this actually has worked on some and like any treatment it deserves more study on those it has worked and those it did not.

reply
Mr.Hood... to The Lib... 2012/05/29 13:30:14

i don't think we can call pain compliance treatment but to each is own.

reply
diane RN 2012/05/24 00:51:41 (edited)

Constructive

+1
I said constructive because I know it a very effective treatment for patients suffering from severe depression that doesnt respond to medication, therapy etc. I really dont know if I like the idea of it being administered to children with autism. If the data shows that it improves the condition then I would rethink this but for now the jjury is still out on this.

ECT is not painful and is very safe. People are often frightened by stories they hear about "shock treatments," but ECT is given under carefully controlled conditions and there is very little risk. The patient does not feel anything except the IV for general anesthesia. The risk involved in ECT is about the same as any procedure involving general anesthesia.

reply
Sailor ... to diane RN 2012/05/24 02:29:53

+4
have you been paying attention? this isn't electro-convulsive therapy, this is behavioral shock "therapy", meaning if you "misbehave" they light you up with a stun gun like device. it's absolutely barbaric.

reply
diane RN to Sailor ... 2012/05/24 03:05:00 (edited)

+1
Ok watched the video, I am being a realist I guess. Do you seriously think that everyone can be saved? If they had to resort to this then there must be some severe underlying problem. I have watched kids being "taken down" by pct's and being shot up with thorazine to get them under control. Some of these people are seriously mentally ill and sometimes extreme measures are needed to try to get them back to reality, In a fantasy land they would all get therapy and live meaningfull productive lives. Unfortunately that is not the real world. Tired of people judging when they know not of what they speak.

reply
just me to diane RN 2012/05/24 03:49:41

+3
Direct shock, in this case, is being used as punishment for aggressive behavior. I do know a lot about Residential Treatment Centers, and the child is being tortured.

reply
diane RN to just me 2012/05/24 03:59:27

I feel we dont know all the facts. As usual the MSM has taken this situation and blown it out of proportion with relaying all the facts. Its easy to throw stones when youre on the outside:)

reply
just me to diane RN 2012/05/24 20:01:07

+2
Diane, I spent years visiting and evaluating RTFs around the various states which were paid thousands of dollars per child per month to provide SW and MH services to children with severe behavioral and emotional disabilities. Any type of electric shock or other physical brutality to these kids, even restraints which weren't monitored by medical personnel, was an immediate reason to remove all kids and cut all funding to the program. The video speaks for itself.

reply
BOOGIE-... to just me 2012/05/24 13:01:28

+3
Yes, I agree with you, and it makes my blood boil to know, and to witness, how conning and conniving people in the medical field can be. for this is not a medical treatment, it is a punishment under the disguise of doing good for humanity. and throughout the history of these new England states, in the matters of mind control, such as to cure witchcraft, all the way to treating disabled people, they have gone from the stocks, to the dunking stool, and and now they have advance onto shock treatments.

reply
just me to BOOGIE-... 2012/05/24 20:04:22

+1
Exactly. There are no facts which justify this type of brutality toward any child, anywhere, anytime. I saw abuses in some of the programs I monitored which still bother me to this day.

reply
BOOGIE-... to just me 2012/05/24 22:12:41 (edited)

+1
This country really amazes me sometimes with its history and its treatment of its people. I wonder how many self proclaimed professionals, or experts opinions that had to be suffered in the defense of slavery back in the day but, getting back to the subject, I could write you a book on the abuse of children. At the Alabama Institute for deaf and blind one atrocity which was really sickening and caused me to have bad dreams was when a little girl was burned severely with hot scalding bath water.

reply